Windows Clustering

05/31/2018

2 minutes to read

In this article

A cluster is a group of independent computer systems, referred to as nodes, working together as a unified computing resource. A cluster provides a single name for clients to use and a single administrative interface, and it guarantees that data is consistent across nodes.

Windows Clustering encompasses two different clustering technologies. These technologies implement the following two types of clusters.

A network load balancing cluster filters and distributes TCP/IP traffic across a range of nodes, regulating connection load according to administrator-defined port rules.

A failover cluster provides high availability for services, applications, and other resources through an architecture that maintains a consistent image of the cluster on all nodes and that allows nodes to transfer resource ownership on demand.

The following are the programming interfaces for the Windows Clustering technologies: